

Quarterback Robert Griffin III puts his hand on the shoulder of head coach Jay Gruden after Griffin’s touchdown run against the Giants last December was reversed. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Shortly after his hiring was announced, Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden explained that his job, as far as the quarterback position was concerned, was to make Robert Griffin III “comfortable and productive.”

Gruden fell short on both counts.

Griffin never looked at ease in Gruden’s system, which recast the once dynamic playmaker as primarily a pocket passer. Though injury derailed his learning curve in Year 3, Griffin looked tentative before dislocating his ankle in Week 2 and tentative after fully recovering. And he paid dearly for that indecision, sacked 33 times.

The result was Griffin’s least productive season as a pro. In his nine appearances, he tallied four touchdown passes, six interceptions and five fumbles and led the team to victory in just one of the seven complete games he played.

Not all the fault was on the low-scoring, turnover-prone offense. The defense rarely rattled opposing quarterbacks, surrendered too many big plays and wilted late in games. But as the Redskins prepare to kick off training camp Thursday in Richmond, the most pressing question on offense revolves around Griffin. Specifically, will Gruden tailor his offense to better suit Griffin’s skills, and how will Griffin respond?

Griffin and Gruden, last December against the Eagles. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Based on Gruden’s remarks during training camp, the second-year head coach is banking on the belief that Griffin will improve simply by being in the same offense, surrounded by familiar receivers, for two consecutive years.

That may not be enough.

Though, after three leg injuries, Griffin isn’t the lights-out sprinter he was at Baylor, he’s clearly most comfortable given the option of making plays with his feet. So it may be that Gruden needs to add more play action to his offensive script. Leverage what Griffin does best, in other words, rather than reinvent him.

Griffin said this spring he isn’t interested in being pigeon-holed as one type of quarterback, whether that’s a drop-back, pocket passer or improvisational scrambler.

“You’ve got to be true to who you are,” Griffin said. “And right now I’m a 25-year-old young man who can do a lot of different things, so I’m not going to limit myself to just being a drop-back passer.”

Either way, coach and quarterback need to find a formula that succeeds. It’s likely a make-or-break season for both.

Here are four other questions about the Redskins’ offense on the eve of training camp:

Can the offensive line reclaim Hog-like glory?

The Redskins surrendered 58 sacks last season — second most in the NFL. Expect that number to come down under offensive line coach Bill Callahan, whose hiring represents the coup of Gruden’s offseason coaching-staff shakeup.

Offensive line coach Bill Callahan, right, works with rookies Arie Kouandjio, left, and Austin Reiter. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

Callahan, who doubled as offensive coordinator and line coach in Dallas, started by hanging a picture of the “Hogs” in his office. Then he set to work drilling his charges — who include former Iowa standout Brandon Scherff, the tackle the Redskins took with the fifth pick in the draft — in the toughness the Joe Gibbs-era offensive line embodied.

Scherff has lined up at right tackle with the starters from Day One, cast as a bookend to three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. Callahan is grooming second-year guard Spencer Long as Chris Chester’s successor at right guard. Arie Kouandjio, a fourth-round draft pick, is expected to vie for time at guard. And Callahan is drilling several of his guards, such as Josh LeRibeus, as backup centers, so the unit won’t miss a beat if anything happens to Kory Lichtensteiger.

The vision is a bigger, younger, more versatile line that can serve as a long-term foundation for the offense — something Washington hasn’t had in years.

Will Gruden commit to the running game?

While Washington’s passing game clicked in stretches, particularly with DeSean Jackson tacking on impressive yards after the catch, it wasn’t balanced by a consistent, powerful running game that kept defenses on their toes.

Gruden backed off the running game when the sledding was tough. And when the team was scrambled to overcome deficits, throwing seemed the way to go.

Third-round unning back Matt Jones. (Pete Marovich/For The Washington Post)

In retrospect, a heavier dose of running would have helped the quarterbacks. Alfred Morris still managed a third consecutive 1,000-plus yard season but could have contributed more, as a runner who gets stronger the more carries he gets.

Expect Gruden to stick with the running game more this season. For one, the team added a strapping, physical back in 6-foot-2, 231-pound Matt Jones, who should be an asset on third downs. Moreover, Callahan will have a hand in play-calling in the running game.

Will there be enough throws to keep a high-profile cast of wide receivers content?

Pierre Garcon’s production took a significant step backward in Gruden’s debut. The Redskins’ “forgotten man” went from leading the league with 113 catches in 2013 to 68 last season. To his credit, Garcon kept any discontent private.

Jackson was more vocal about his frustration. While his six touchdown catches led the team, Jackson had just 56 receptions and groused about the limitations of playing with “basic people” after one bitter defeat.

Andre Roberts, meantime, didn’t expect to be shuffled back to the Redskins’ sixth-leading receiver (36 catches) when he signed as a free agent.

With Gruden eager to find opportunities for second-year wide receiver Ryan Grant, and the Redskins investing a fourth-round draft pick in Duke wideout Jamison Crowder, who’ll keep the peace in his wide receivers corps?

What the solution for the Redskins’ red-zone anemia?

When it came to moving the ball, the Redskins weren’t half bad last season. They averaged 358.6 yards per game (13th in the NFL).

But when it came to the downs that mattered, the offense fell flat.

Their third-down conversion rate — 31.4 percent-ranked 30th in the NFL. And their red-zone efficiency— 47.92 percent — ranked 26th. For a team with any offensive identify at all, that’s unacceptable.

This season, the Redskins are banking on size as the remedy. General manager Scot McCloughan believes games are won in the trenches. And his moves to bulk up the offensive line and running-back corps ought to help on the crucial downs.

Four of the team’s projected starting offensive linemen top 310 pounds. And Jones, the rookie back from Florida, is bigger than any wide receiver on the roster, providing a big-bodied receiving target if tight end Jordan Reed (6-2, 237) is sidelined.

Note: Also, the Redskins filled the final spot on their roster, signing former Florida running back Mack Brown. The 5-foot-11, 214-pound Brown originally signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent. He was waived by the Texans on June 2.

Brown played in 49 career games at Florida from 2010-14, rushing for 805 yards and four touchdowns on 210 carries with four rushing touchdowns.

Mike Jones contributed to this report.

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